THE BEAVEK. 91 



\ 



Mode of taking beavers Two nt Exeter 'Change. 



hind legs. The Indians in the neighbourhood of 

 Hudson's Bay first drain off the water of the 

 dam, and then, covering the houses with nets,, 

 break in at the top; on which the terrified ani- 

 mals attempt to escape through the doors, and 

 thus become entangled in the meshes. 



In some parts of Lapland, beavers are caught 

 in twigs of fir-trees; but it is worthy of remark, 

 that whenever two have been caught together, 

 the one has set the other at liberty. 



The beaver is a native of most of the northern 

 parts of Europe and Asia, but is principally 

 found in North America. It also seems to have 

 been once an inhabitant of Great Britain : for 

 Giraldus Cambrensis says that these animals fre- 

 quented the river Tievi in Cardiganshire, and 

 that they had, from the Welsh, a name, signifying 

 " the Broad-tailed animals." Their skins were 

 valued by the laws of Howel the Good, in the 

 tenth century, at the sum of a hundred and 

 twenty pence each ; and they seem to have con- 

 stituted the chief finery and luxury of those days. 



There are at present ( 1 806,) in the menagerie 

 at Exeter 'Change two beavers, brought over 

 from Hudson's Bay by Captain Turner, who had 

 also on board a male and female with three young 

 ones; but having unfortunately lined the trough 

 for their water with lead instead of tin, they were 

 all poisoned by gnawing it, in one night. The 

 animals now in Mr. Pidcock's possession are re- 

 markably tame, and will even suffer themselves 

 M 2 



